Saying goodbye to faithful companions: Burying pets in Ontario

For children and adults, pets are beloved members of the family. Long Point, Ontario, 2022

In 1996, spouses Nancy and Colin Graham lost their beloved family dog Beau to bone cancer. That painful experience led them to open Thistledown Pet Memorial crematorium in Uxbridge, Ontario, a service that supports people coping with loss.

“The objective of Thistledown Pet Memorial is to help ensure pet owners and their pets are treated with dignity and respect when that fateful day arrives, and the pet passes on,” says Nancy.

Honouring deceased pets and supporting the surviving owners are nothing new. The Ontario Dead Animal Disposal Act enables homeowners to remember and reflect on their non-human family members by burying them in cemeteries or their backyards within specific guidelines, and in accordance with applicable municipal bylaws.

Cremated pet remains can be buried with their owners

“People may not know that their cremated pet remains can be buried with them in a human cemetery when the time comes. It’s important to note that this applies only to house pets,” says Michael D’Mello, Deputy Registrar, Bereavement Authority of Ontario.

“Such joint burials must be in a separate area of a human cemetery, set aside for pet and owner burials,” he adds.

Mount Pleasant Group’s Meadowvale and Thornton cemeteries allow consumers to bury the remains of their pets with their predeceased owners. Patty Harris, team lead of the cemeteries’ Pet and Family Sections, says the service became available to consumers last fall following Mount Pleasant’s bylaw changes in April 2022. “When the consumer comes to us and [the pet’s] cremation has already taken place, we help facilitate the pet interment,” says Harris.

Members of the family

Rick Cowan, Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Mount Pleasant Group, says that grief is real after someone loses a pet, though others may not understand it. He says it was essential for the organization to recognize this and create accessible and inclusive spaces and opportunities to validate pet owners’ grief and wishes, even though this sentiment may not be widespread.

“Many pet owners feel guilty when they acknowledge that they’re grieving over a lost pet because non-pet owners may not understand that grief,” adds Cowan. “Responses can sometimes be harsh, but the reality is that many pet owners consider these pets to be part of their family.”

Nancy Graham agrees. “The loss can have a huge, short and longterm impact on the pet’s owner and immediate family, extended family, friends, and the pet’s vet clinic staff.” The Grahams penned a book titled Life, Loss, and Celebration, which discusses the tight bonds between animals and humans and prepares owners for the inevitable loss of their pets.

Veterinarians

Owners who need help determining where to begin once their pet passes away or require more details on the disposal of their pet’s remains are encouraged to reach out to a local pet loss support service or their veterinarian.

Kim Huson, Executive Partner,

Communications at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the authority that oversees the practice of veterinarians, says, ‘The death of an animal can be an emotional and difficult time for an animal owner. Their veterinarian can be helpful to individuals by discussing options for disposing of animal remains, as well as recommending supports for animal owners who may be grieving.”